Mass Effect (merged thread)

[Lynxo]

Of the "proper" reviews I've read, the consensus seems to be that while it doesn't live up to the trilogy, it's still a really good game.

[kaos2900]

So I started playing last night but I only had about an hour with the game. I'll start by saying that the Mass Effect trilogy is my favorite game series ever and the original is my favorite game ever. That being said after an hour or so of playing the game, creating my character, and reading through the Codex one word can sum up my feelings: Disappointed. The character creation is easily the worst of the four games and compared to Dragon Age Inquisition is a HUGE step backwards. The eyes of the models are cross and just don't look right. It blows my mind that they spent so long on this game and no one said: " Hey these characters look like total shit". My second biggest gripe is that the codex is not narrated. This is a minor issue overall but after about 20 minutes of reading small font I was about ready to fall asleep (which is ultimately what happened). After landing on the first planet (maybe 20-30 minutes of game time) I had to turn it off. By that time I was so put off by the character creation and my character that I had a hard time just focusing on the story since I kept thinking about how they made a next gen game feel more out dated than the original that came out a decade later.

Long story short, I'm sure this is going to be a good game for what it is and I have now decided to approach this game differently than the original series. In the original series I was meticulous with my character creation and really focused on the choices that I would really make in that situation. So I made the Shepard character me. I'm not going to do that with Andromeda. I'm going to start over and use the default character (haven't decided if I'm going to play as Jack or Sarah but I didn't love the Jack voice actor much) and just focusing on enjoying this game for what it is. A game that takes place in the same Mass Effect universe but that is ultimately a completely different game. I have accepted the fact that Andromeda is a step backward compared to the original and am going to try my best to focus on this game by itself going forward. I think that the reviews were spot on so far but I can tell it's going to be a good not great game and that something is just off or missing that made the original so special.

All that being said, I'm still looking forward to playing now that I have tampered my expectations and to just go along for the ride.

[ariich]

Eh, I've always gone with the default character appearance (with maybe minor tweaks) and honestly I found the narrated codex bloody irritating as I wanted to read on but the narration got in the way and couldn't be turned off.

So I get why these sorts of things might bother others who really liked those specific elements, but the former doesn't bother me and the latter actually seems like an improvement.

[Lynxo]

Eh, I've always gone with the default character appearance (with maybe minor tweaks) and honestly I found the narrated codex bloody irritating as I wanted to read on but the narration got in the way and couldn't be turned off.

So I get why these sorts of things might bother others who really liked those specific elements, but the former doesn't bother me and the latter actually seems like an improvement.

Exactly this, I get impatient with the narrated codecs and then I try to read it myself, which is hard to do at the same time.

[kaos2900]

Now that you mention it I do remember times wishing the guy would read faster but I still prefer it over reading tiny font.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

I started playing last night too. Maybe Kaos and I can get a running diary going.

I really enjoyed my first three hours. I don't want to give too many specifics because I think that putting my thoughts in writing will make it harder for me to budge on them if something changes, but at a minimum, the game feels like Mass Effect.

That said, if graphics and technical performance are of the utmost importance to you, do NOT buy this game. Some of the low importance characters that I spoke to while I was doing side missions look like something out of Knights of the Old Republic.

[Phoenix87x]

Its already down to $32 dollars on amazon. I might just pick it up and get it over with

[TioJorge]

Yeahhh... totally renegging on my previous statement of not caring about aesthetics unless they interfere with gameplay. That shit is fucking horrible. Takes you out of the experience every single time. I played a few hours at my friends and it was fun, no doubt, but holy hell...that is truly wretched. Like...I really question how people looked at this and either said "Yeah this is fine" or "it's not bad enough to fix". I'm not gonna buy it...I can't deal with it. I mean can that even be patched out? That is a HUGE fix...I know they commented that it won't be fixed in any initial patches but that kind of sounds like they won't be at all and are just pussyfooting around saying it.

[abydos]

I guess depending on the severity of the problems, it might be patched if it's a bug but if many of the animation issues such as facial or running animation are not bugs and were made this way, it might require doing additional motion capture or something similar and in that case it might take a while if they bother with it at all.

[ariich]

Yeah if it's bugs then it's reasonable to assume it'll get corrected at some point, which is my usual reason for not getting games on release (also cost).

If it's just the way the animation was intended, that seems bizarre. I mean, if you're using motion capture then how can it end up looking so silly?

[TioJorge]

Right, I'm really hoping that they just said "screw it, we'll patch it out later" (which is still really horrible and stupid) rather than it being this way by design...which is kind of unforgivable based solely on a "fuck you, to the fans" standpoint.

I'm not sure why but based on a lot of the gifs and such, I had assumed the walking/facial movements were at certain points in the game or specific moments... Nope. It's all the time. Everywhere. Hilarious. Also supremely annoying and immediately takes me out of any kind of immersion I had. it's like blue balls for my imagination.

[ariich]

Hard to say really, I guess time will tell. Maybe they genuinely thought it was ok.

One thing I'll say about Bioware is that they tend to try and listen to the fans, like with the free DLC to give a fuller ending to ME3. So even if this was just a poor effort on their part, I would be a little surprised if they just ignored it.

[kaos2900]

Started a new game last night and started with the stock character and my new mindset (see previous post). Made it through a few battles on the first planet and am really enjoying my self now. I haven't noticed any issues with animations though the facial animations aren't great but not a deal breaker. They're on par with the original trilogy. I'm going to get 2-3 hours in tonight.

[Phoenix87x]

Today, I heard someone call it "the tony hawk 5 of the mass effect series"

Well, I wouldn't go that far. Its got some jank going on, but I still like it.

[ariich]

Some interesting thoughts on facial animations from ex-Bioware animator:

https://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/news/a824341/mass-effect-andromeda-facial-animation-explained-bioware-animator/

Kinda makes sense in principle that many of the animations would be algorithm based, as it would be impossible to manually animate/mo-cap everything. But still, they had an algorithm that while not perfect by any means worked basically fine in the previous games, and in Dragon Age: Inquisition presumably (might be different algorithms, but they all seemed to work fine). So why not use what they already had?

[TheOutlawXanadu]

I played a lot of Andromeda (approximately 20 hours) last week. Here are my thoughts thus far:

- BioWare were not lying when they said that the game was, at its heart, about exploration. That's exactly what it's about. Whereas I felt the original trilogy was about people, politics, and relationships, Andromeda wants you to drive around a lot and immerse yourself in its worlds. This can get frustrating at times, like when you have to drive to six different locations on the map before progressing in a quest. However, it can also be absolutely wonderful, like when you first establish an outpost on a new planet and genuinely feel like a trail blazer.

- The loyalty missions are awesome. Just fantastic. Part of the reason why is that they're almost like a tribute to Mass Effect 2, where you'll spend a shorty, snappy 30 minutes fighting people and speaking with squad mates. Each one really deepened my appreciation for the game's new characters.

- Combat is loads of fun. It took a bit to get used to, but holy crap is playing as a Vanguard awesome.

- There are many areas where I feel the game regressed compared to the original trilogy. For example, some facial animations, movement, glitches that prevent you from completing side quests, etc. I don't personally think that any of these things are game changers, but if you're someone who really values absolute top-tier quality in all respects, you will probably be put off.

- On a final note, while I have almost entirely ignored the social media reception to the game for a couple of weeks, I did see an article where BioWare had to release an official statement that firmly requested people to stop harassing a misidentified employee of theirs over the bad facial animations. That kind of thing is complete nonsense and is reflective of an online gaming culture that is sometimes really toxic. Like, seriously, calm the hell down, people.

Anyhow, I'm really enjoying the game overall.

[ariich]

That's great to hear, TOX. Always appreciated your reasonable and balanced approach to... well, basically everything, so I'm glad you're really enjoying it overall as that bodes well for me as well!

In terms of the problems, I would imagine that at least some of them will get patched. Certainly bugs such as those preventing quests from being completed, these seem to be par for the course these days (Bethesda are even bigger culprits - seems as though the bigger and more varied/open a game is, the more problems there are at launch). In terms of animations, it's possible they'll patch that too given the strength of the backlash and their previous record with listening to the fans.

[kaos2900]

I just made it off the first planets and haven't even made it to the Nexus yet (tonight hopefully) so I haven't started the proper game but the facial animations haven't been that terrible yet. I still understand how they got worse than the original series and no one did anything about it. That's the more concerning part for me.

[kaos2900]

I haven't been able to play nearly as much as I would like. I just made it to Eos and I'm finally really enjoying the game. It really reminds me of playing Star Trek or something. The exploration aspect is great.

[ariich]

For all Bioware's flaws and mistakes, they really do seem to put quite a lot of effort into listening: https://www.masseffect.com/news/the-journey-ahead

Shows I made the right call to hold off for now and get the game slightly later. Think I'll probably implement this every time when it comes to EA and especially Bioware games.

Full text if anyone's interested:

Hi everyone,

It’s been two weeks since the launch of Mass Effect™: Andromeda and we’re thankful to the millions of you who have already joined us on this journey. And though the game is now in your hands, it’s really just the beginning.

Since launch, our team has been poring over your comments and feedback, looking to discover what you like about the game, as well as areas we can evolve or improve.

This Thursday, we’ll release a new patch that addresses technical fixes (crashes, improved performance), but also adds a number of improvements we’ve heard you ask for, such as:

    Allowing you to skip ahead when travelling between planets in the galaxy map
    Increasing the inventory limits
    Improving the appearance of eyes for humans and asari characters
    Decreasing the cost of Remnant decryption keys and making them more accessible at merchants
    Improving localized voice over lip sync
    Fixing Ryder’s movements when running in a zig zag pattern
    Improving matchmaking and latency in multiplayer

There are many more adjustments being made, all of which you can find in our patch notes.

Over the next two months we’ll be rolling out additional patches which will go even deeper and look to improve several areas of the game:

    More options and variety in the character creator
    Improvements to hair and general appearance for characters
    Ongoing improvements to cinematic scenes and animations
    Improvements to male romance options for Scott Ryder
    Adjustments to conversations with Hainly Abrams

These upcoming patches will also address performance and stability issues. And we’re looking at adding more cosmetic items to single player for free.

For multiplayer, over the same timeframe, we’re going to continue to build on the APEX missions that have been running since launch. We’ll be adding new maps, characters, and weapons. On Thursday, we kick off the first of three new chapters centered around The Remnant Investigation.

This is just a taste of what’s in store as we continue to support Mass Effect: Andromeda. And as always, you all play an important role in that. We want to hear from you about your experiences, both what you love about the game and what you’d like to see changed. We’re listening, and we’re committed to partnering with you as we continue to explore the Andromeda galaxy together.

Here’s to a great journey,

Aaryn

[TheOutlawXanadu]

My thinking is that BioWare have always shown that they care about fans. That doesn't mean that they always make the right call, but their hearts are in the right place.

Honestly, the things they're fixing, while nice touches that will make a difference, do not include the main frustration I have with the game, which is kind of beyond doing anything about at this point: Just too much busywork. I would approximate that at least half of the available quests are generic "Drive here, drive there" missions. The main story stuff is terrific, but everything else is a little repetitive. I'm still enjoying myself, don't get me wrong, but the game's a little overwhelming at times.

[ariich]

My thinking is that BioWare have always shown that they care about fans. That doesn't mean that they always make the right call, but their hearts are in the right place.

Honestly, the things they're fixing, while nice touches that will make a difference, do not include the main frustration I have with the game, which is kind of beyond doing anything about at this point: Just too much busywork. I would approximate that at least half of the available quests are generic "Drive here, drive there" missions. The main story stuff is terrific, but everything else is a little repetitive. I'm still enjoying myself, don't get me wrong, but the game's a little overwhelming at times.

The original game had quite a lot of that too. 2 and 3 were definitely more story/action focused, which I'd say I enjoyed more overall.

[Lynxo]

My thinking is that BioWare have always shown that they care about fans. That doesn't mean that they always make the right call, but their hearts are in the right place.

Honestly, the things they're fixing, while nice touches that will make a difference, do not include the main frustration I have with the game, which is kind of beyond doing anything about at this point: Just too much busywork. I would approximate that at least half of the available quests are generic "Drive here, drive there" missions. The main story stuff is terrific, but everything else is a little repetitive. I'm still enjoying myself, don't get me wrong, but the game's a little overwhelming at times.

Dragon Age: Inquisition had that exact same problem. I remember when it came out and people compared it to The Witcher 3, which handled side quests MUCH better.

That being said, despite its flaws, I'm having a great time with the game!

[ariich]

Yeah true about DA:I. I don't mind it though as long as playing the game is an enjoyable enough experience, as it gets you exploring the landscape a bit and find different things/places/people. I'm playing through the original ME trilogy at the moment and I'd forgotten how linear each part of ME2 is. Not that I enjoy it any less, it's just different. DA2 was like that as well. For Andromeda it sounds like they've brought back the sense of exploration from ME1, like they did with DA:I, which ultimately ends up meaning quite a few "go over there" quests.

[Lynxo]

Yeah true about DA:I. I don't mind it though as long as playing the game is an enjoyable enough experience, as it gets you exploring the landscape a bit and find different things/places/people. I'm playing through the original ME trilogy at the moment and I'd forgotten how linear each part of ME2 is. Not that I enjoy it any less, it's just different. DA2 was like that as well. For Andromeda it sounds like they've brought back the sense of exploration from ME1, like they did with DA:I, which ultimately ends up meaning quite a few "go over there" quests.

Yeah, that's exactly the case. Andromeda really delivers on that sense of exploring the unknown and discovering new stuff. So it's great fun in that regard.

[abydos]

https://video.twimg.com/tweet_video/C8oUq0hXcAADa4V.mp4
 

[ariich]

Mean but funny.

[TioJorge]

 

[TheOutlawXanadu]

Amazing.

[BlackInk]

This guy always makes me laugh:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ToMLelf41s

[ariich]

Finished ME2 and onto ME3 now.

Replaying them all in a row definitely makes it easier to notice the differences. ME2 much more linear, no real sense of exploration but superb storytelling and the build up to the suicide mission (and the thing itself) is just so damn great.

Also noticeable is how many squadmates you have in ME2. I don't think it's inherently better or worse, just different. I like having that variety, and all the different characters to interact with in a deep way, especially on the loyalty missions which are mostly terrific. On the other hand, they variety means a bit less interaction from each character. The NPCs don't interact with each other all that much, even on missions where they also don't comment and interject all that much as presumably programming and recording it for so many different characters would have been a pretty enormous task. In ME3 I'm appreciating that slightly fewer squadmates is increasing the amount of real interaction I see among them, which is really cool.

Also, I played as male Shepard when I first played the series, so I'm playing as female Shep this time and it's bizarre that for apparently no reason they changed the default character appearance in ME3. I initially changed to the default ME3 character, but she's not even well designed. The facial expressions all looked weird, particularly the mouth movements, as though the animations just didn't work on that model. Which is fine, it can't work for every model, but then why is that the default. So anyway after a couple of hours it was ruining how immersive it all was, so I started again and used my imported character appearance and just tweaked it slightly and it's SO much better now.

So yeah, seems Bioware has always had a bit of a problem with animations, but it doesn't appear to have ever angered people until Andromeda for some reason.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

So yeah, seems Bioware has always had a bit of a problem with animations, but it doesn't appear to have ever angered people until Andromeda for some reason.

Honestly - and this is just one man's opinion - I think that the drama over Andromeda's facial animations is a result of the online gaming community basically reaching a nadir in terms of good faith and thoughtfulness.

Now, don't get me wrong. The facial animations aren't very good and in some cases are terrible. Criticizing them is totally fair. The problem, at least in my opinion, is that people have made them out to be completely deal breaking, to the point where some are calling the game unplayable for this reason alone.

Frankly, at least during my 40 hours of playing the game, I was actually surprised at just how little character interaction even factored into the experience. Unlike Mass Effect 2, where half the fun is in simply talking to squad mates, Andromeda cares way more about exploration, and so you spend way more time driving and fighting than you do talking. And most of the conversations you have are more in the vein of, "I have a problem. Please solve it for me." It's not like you need great facial animations for that kind of thing.

Basically, I think that Andromeda has bigger issues than facial animations, which you might not have realized based on some of the low quality reviews of the game that are somehow still getting millions of hits.

[ariich]

Finished my trilogy playthrough, and the ending is so vastly improved by the Extended Cut (never seen it before).

Also, I went with the synthesis ending as it felt the only one I could choose. I don't know if it's because I played DLC this time and made more of the side quests (went very completionist on all the games this time) - or indeed if it set things up slightly differently with changes from the Extended Cut - but there was no way I could kill EDI and the Geth. I don't even know what my rationale was for the destroy ending my first time through (I think that's what I went for anyway).

Man, what an incredible trilogy. Feel like there's something missing from my life now.

[Lynxo]

Finished my trilogy playthrough, and the ending is so vastly improved by the Extended Cut (never seen it before).

Also, I went with the synthesis ending as it felt the only one I could choose. I don't know if it's because I played DLC this time and made more of the side quests (went very completionist on all the games this time) - or indeed if it set things up slightly differently with changes from the Extended Cut - but there was no way I could kill EDI and the Geth. I don't even know what my rationale was for the destroy ending my first time through (I think that's what I went for anyway).

Man, what an incredible trilogy. Feel like there's something missing from my life now.

I know that feeling. Such an unique and epic series of games.

[kaos2900]

30 hours and 23% through Andromeda and I'm really enjoying. It really is completely different type of game that the original trilogy. I think the thing it's really missing is the interesting characters but the focus on exploration is excellent.